“Years of continuous growth in numbers has recently seen Groot Constantia starting to welcome over 400,000 visitors per annum,” explains Jean Naudé, general manager of Groot Constantia.
“The Visitors Route Experience is the result of years of planning. Back in 2013 we identified the need to not only better manage the ever growing visitor numbers, but also to enhance the Groot Constantia experience so that guests – both local and international – are allowed increased, and more personalised interaction with the staff and offerings at the estate – they need to be able to truly feel Groot Constantia.”
The original Manor House at Groot Constantia is the “front door” to the estate and forms the starting point to the Visitors Route Experience.
“Once you step through the doors of the Manor House you will realise all that Groot Constantia has to offer by following a circular route winding through the historical core of the estate,” says Grant Newton, marketing manager for Groot Constantia. “Starting at the Iziko cultural history museum in the Manor House, guests make their way to the famed Cloete Cellar, the original wine production cellar from 1791, and the birthplace of Grand Constance - the original sweet wines of Constantia that are famed for being Napoleon’s tipple of choice - ordering 30 bottles a month during his exile on St Helena Island.
The Cloete Cellar now houses a wine museum and tasting room and here one can enjoy a wine tasting with your own Spiegelau crystal glass to take home as a memento. From there guests then head to the modern Production Cellar, which is the departure point for the self-guided cellar and vineyard audio-tours.”
Newton notes that in addition to being able to do a tasting in the Cloete Cellar, the Groot Constantia wines can be purchased in both the Cloete Cellar and modern Production Cellar. Groot Constantia is a small volume wine estate that produces limited quantities of hand-crafted classic estate wines which continue to win accolades – achieving over 100 awards in the past 10 years alone. “Guests can now also visit the point of origin for all our successes, as we have introduced a new audio guided tour of the vineyards.”
“The estate also boasts two top-notch restaurants, Jonkershuis and Simon’s, where visitors can eat after they have finished exploring the Visitors Route. Along with the other offerings at Groot Constantia, these restaurants are definitely an influencing factor with regards to the growth in numbers that we have seen,” says Newton.
“Art appreciators can enjoy a visual feast of original South African art at the Art @ Constantia Gallery.”
“Groot Constantia is celebrating 332 years of wine production this year, and as the oldest wine producing estate in South Africa, history is woven into the fabric of our story. From the moment visitors enter the Manor House at the start of their Visitors Route Experience they are transported back in time,” says Newton. “However, to enhance the visitor experience and allow guests to share their experiences, our new Visitors Route Experience also sees a fusion of old and new as we have embraced technology and offer free Wi-Fi throughout the entire estate as well as the two audio walking tours.”
“Wine Tourism started at Groot Constantia in the 1700’s, with the first wine route directions drawn up for the benefit of visitors in that era. Over 300 years later and the estate continues to move from strength to strength and the new Visitors Route is a natural extension, and necessary step to hone our tourism offerings,” concludes Naude. “We are all extremely excited about our growing visitor numbers and the creation of this new Visitors Route Experience at Groot Constantia, and are looking forward to seeing further growth in our footfall.”
Although pre-booking is not necessary for the Visitors Route Experience, tickets can be pre-purchased from Webtickets. Alternatively, just arrive and purchase your ticket directly from Groot Constantia itself on the day. A ticket, which costs R95, provides access to the Manor House & Museum, the Cloete Cellar & Museum, a souvenir Spiegelau crystal wine glass, a wine tasting and two audio walking tours.
Groot Constantia is also rolling out other new offerings such as regular Yoga On The Lawn events – with the first one taking place on Sunday 26 March at 8.30am, with tickets available from the estate or on Webtickets.
